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Pettibone Road schedule back to square one
(by Sue Reid - February 11, 2009)
Pettibone Road schedule back to square one
By SUE REID
Solon Public Works Director James S. Stanek told City Council's public works committee last week that there was a request from the contractor for the Pettibone Road reconstruction project to allow a move into phase two before completing phase one.
"The ability to get into phase two and complete it revolves around being able to use an alternative pavement-base-preparation method that, after discussing and reviewing with our engineer, we're not able to recommend," Mr. Stanek said Monday.
He had thought the ability to accelerate the roadwork was a great opportunity, he said, "but we don't want to compromise the integrity of what we are doing either." If it's not the best choice for the long duration of the roadway, "that is something we don't want to do," he said.
The city is in phase one of the three-phase, two-year project, which began last November. Phase one includes work from Liberty Road to the city's eastern corporation line. The second phase is from SOM Center Road (Route 91) to Liberty Road, and the third is from the west corporation line to SOM Center Road.
Mr. Stanek said Kenmore Construction, of Akron, made the request under the premise that both phase one and phase two would be completed by the end of November. That would have resulted in all of the work on the road between Liberty and SOM Center roads being complete, he said.
"There would have been tremendous advantages to having it all wrapped up to (Route) 91 by November," Mr. Stanek said, and it would have been at no extra cost to the city.
He said Kenmore also discussed the possibility of suspending work in the winter months upon the completion of phase two.
"We've come to understand that maybe winter work is not the best for all of us," Mr. Stanek said.
Councilman and committee member John T. Scott asked Mr. Stanek whether the acceleration of the project would result in more roads being affected in terms of closures. His concern is the safety forces and their ability to travel the roads.
Currently, Pettibone Road is experiencing a full closure from Aurora Road (Route 43) east to the east corporation line. It will reopen Feb. 16.
"Right now, they're doing the culvert being that the road is completely closed," Mr. Stanek said. Then, he said, contractors will get to the point where the only thing that is left to do is the pavement itself in phase one. "Obviously, they have to have extended periods of nice weather to be able to do that."
As part of the project, the entire four-mile road, is being reconstructed from east to west corporation lines. Work includes replacing storm sewers and waterlines and adding sidewalks, multipurpose paths and bicycle lanes, as well as upgrading intersections and traffic signals. The project, which has been in the works for over a decade, also incorporates a small portion of neighboring Glenwillow.
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